Latest news with #O'Keeffe
Irish Independent
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Irish language use up 600pc on TikTok as Dubai chocolate and matcha dominate users' algorithms
TikTok HQ opened their doors to reveal emerging creators and trending content across Ireland and beyond. From #gaeltok and Irish tourism content to green food and drink trends – even if it is a Coca-Cola recipe with pickle and jalapeno juice – the app with 186 million downloads at the end of last year never fails to surprise its audience. First up for favoured trends this year is #Gaeltok which Rebecca O'Keeffe, Head of Content Operations at TikTok, describes as a 'catch-all phrase for everything that's happening within Irish culture in the app, from Irish food, Irish history, to the ever-growing popularity of the Irish language.' A creator Ms O'Keeffe recommends us to watch out for is Máire Na Greine, @maire-na-greine, who creates lifestyle content through Irish. Ms O'Keeffe said: 'What I love about Máire is she's not trying to teach you Irish. Instead it's conversational and very approachable.' We've all heard CMAT's new song [Take a Sexy Picture of Me] which is a big trending sound on the platform at the moment The use of TikTok through Irish was up 600pc in the last 12 months on the app. Irish-speaking creatives like Máire are given much kudos by the Tiktok team for this growth. Ms O'Keeffe also delved into music on the app which relies on catchy sound bites to boost views. She said: 'There are incredible artists coming out of Ireland at the moment. We've all heard CMAT's new song [Take a Sexy Picture of Me] which is a big trending sound on the platform at the moment.' CMAT or Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson is an Irish singer, songwriter and musician, known for creating country, pop and folk music. Her latest song rallies against modern beauty standards with nearly 6,000 videos on the app made using the song. Some smaller musicians also flagged as ones to watch included Khakiid @khakid who has 51,000 followers on the app, Moio @sirmoio has 164,300 followers and @florenceroad who has 902,000 followers. All things green food and drinks are also trending, from Dubai chocolate to matcha lattes and even pickles, thanks to singer Dua Lipa encouraging people to drink Coke with pickle and jalapeno juice. ADVERTISEMENT David Burke, co-owner of Sugar Plum Sweetery, the sweet makers and chocolatiers based in Mullingar whose business was launched into the stratosphere following the Dubai chocolate trend taking Ireland by storm. He said: 'Our business wouldn't exist without TikTok and the Dubai chocolate trend. Our business is now 10 times the size of what it was, and we've 70 people working for us.' Sugar Plum is part of the TikTok shop which has now been brought to Ireland. The Matcha Bar, based in Powerscourt Townhouse Centre in Dublin city, is another Irish seller on the app. Elaine Fitzsimons, who opened the business 10 months ago, used the platform to take viewers through the experience of setting up a business. She said: 'You're competing against massive competitors and brands that have a lot of money to push behind marketing, and when you're starting up, you don't have that. 'So your story and your brand and your face is like, is your differentiator to cut through the noise. 'I also really enjoy authentic behind-the-scenes content myself. It's important not to take yourself too seriously.'
Business Insider
19-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
How baby boomers on a budget are fighting loneliness
During the colder months, Barbara O'Keeffe, 79, her husband, and their friends journey into the rocky deserts of Arizona. With the intense sun shining on their sunscreen-covered faces, they take walks and admire the vastness. When May hits and the blistering heat traps them inside, O'Keeffe occasionally wakes up early, tries a new breakfast spot, and bookmarks it for when her snowbird friends return in the winter. Their finances are stable, but the O'Keeffes have tried to keep costs down while maintaining a healthy social life, though they will splurge on concerts. We want to hear from you. Are you an older American comfortable sharing your retirement outlook with a reporter? Please fill out this quick form. But because of rising costs, they've slowed their search for new restaurants and embraced being homebodies during the summer, taking up projects like sewing and going through old photographs. Their over-55 community often holds events in the evenings, and they've maintained online connections with friends from their travels and work. Still, balancing social activities on a budget isn't easy. "One of the hardest things at our age is that we are starting to lose close friends of 30 to 40 years, and each time it happens, it reinforces our own mortality," said O'Keeffe, who retired over 18 years ago from her role as a university department head. O'Keeffe is one of dozens of retirees who recently told Business Insider they're trying to stay socially connected despite having limited retirement savings. Some said it's difficult to make friends later in life, especially without workplace connections to fall back on. Others said spending on food, housing, and other essentials has already strained their monthly budgets, making it harder to prioritize relationships and fend off loneliness. Many older Americans, particularly those with lower incomes, have been caught in the nation's broader "loneliness crisis." What's more, fears about the future of government benefits like Social Security and Medicaid because of federal staffing and budget cuts, along with the stock market's ups and downs, have added to their financial stress. This story is part of a series on older workers. Some retirees are going back to work to seek connections For some retirees, going back to work has been the most practical way to address their financial and social challenges. Carolyn Evans, 71, worked at a Big Four accounting firm for two decades before retiring in 2021 to care for her terminally ill husband. Despite having a pension and 401(k), she didn't have enough saved to retire comfortably — she lost much of her $400,000 in savings during the 2008 recession and paid hefty bills to repair her house after a natural disaster. When her husband died in 2022, she felt isolated and returned to work. "I wanted to be around people because of the loneliness that I encountered after my husband passed away," Evans said. Evans, who lives in Texas, said she couldn't find many part-time openings, so she became a full-time accountant for a real estate company. She's enjoyed working with younger people, property managers, and clients. Evans isn't sure when she might be able to retire again, though she's hopeful work will keep her fulfilled and financially stable for the time being. "I enjoy work because it is very community-connected with various social activities such as bowling and pickleball," Evans said. "My children often entertain with barbecues and other family gatherings, there are church gatherings, and activities where it is often potluck and less expensive." Finding low-cost activities and returning to work haven't fully solved the social challenges many retirees, like Libby Mintzer, face. Mintzer, 73, retired from her job as a paralegal in 2022. She relies on her monthly Social Security income, which she says is barely enough to get by. As a result, Mintzer said she's been actively searching for part-timeemployment — preferably an office job — but hasn't had any luck yet. The financial strain has also made it harder for her to build new friendships since she relocated from New York to Tampa, Florida, about three years ago. She's tried joining local meetup groups — some of which involved going out to dinner — but said they haven't been a good fit. "I ended up broke every month because I'd spend $60 on dinner, and I didn't click with anybody," she said. When a social opportunity catches her interest — even an expensive one — it can be hard to pass on it. If she overspends, she said she typically cuts back on food. "To me, it's worth spending money or even going over my budget once in a while," she said.
Irish Examiner
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
O'Connor denies O'Keefe a treble at Clonmel
In the week in which stable jockey Rachael Blackmore called time on her illustrious career in the saddle, chief benefactors Darragh O'Keeffe and Mike O'Connor stepped up to help Henry de Bromhead continue his fine run of form with a treble last evening in Clonmel. O'Keeffe, who is seen as a natural successor, contributed two of the three, but O'Connor also did his part and, in doing so, denied O'Keeffe a personal treble. Trasna Na Pairce put the first mark on the card for the Co Waterford stable when taking the Aisling Kennedy Memorial Maiden Hurdle in smooth fashion. Enjoying a positive, front-running ride, the type at which O'Keeffe excels, the heavily-backed 10-11 favourite settled into the race well, opened a clear advantage before leaving the back for the final time, and was in little danger thereafter. 'He's a lovely horse,' said de Bromhead. 'The owners are a new syndicate to the game, so I'm delighted for them. Gerry Hogan recommended him from Pat Doyle's. 'Rachael gave him a lovely spin in Kilbeggan. He ran well that day and stepped forward from it. He's definitely one for chasing. My plan was always to get to a fence sooner rather than later.' O'Connor provided leg two and caused a bit of an upset in getting Adaliz up in the dying strides of the Tote Never Beaten By SP Handicap Hurdle. Sharetheknowledge attempted to make all the running and looked very much as though he would succeed, but O'Connor got a great late tune out of his mount, and she got up in the final stride to give de Bromhead a double and to delay O'Keeffe's. 'Delighted for Mikey, he gave her a super spin,' said the winning trainer. 'It was brilliant for the syndicate (Syndicates Racing). I thought we were finishing up after her last run, but they were happy to go again, and she was brilliant.' O'Keeffe only had to wait an hour or so to complete his double and de Bromhead's treble, which he did aboard Belle The Tigress in the Clonmel Racecourse Supporters' Club Mares' Maiden Hurdle. Matters were complicated by the two hurdles in the straight being omitted, but the winner always looked to be travelling best and found plenty to keep Arctic Flame at bay. Said O'Keeffe: 'It's great to be coming racing with plenty of chances, and two winners this evening was great. The horses are in great form, and, in fairness, he has the whole yard in great health and long may it continue.' Connections of the runner-up - Pat Foley and Simon Torrens – earlier earned a visit to the winner's enclosure when Colleen Danu ran away with the Talbot Hotel Clonmel Handicap Hurdle. The Milan mare travelled sweetly through the race and put matters to bed with the minimum of fuss. With the two hurdles in the straight ruled out due to the low sun, there were just five obstacles to be jumped in the Tote Guarantee Available On Course & Handicap Hurdle, and so it was no surprise to see smart Flat horse Expound come to the fore. A winner on the level last week at Ballinrobe, the Denis Hogan-trained six-year-old, this time ridden by Daniel King, made all the running and picked up under pressure to put a fifth career success on his card. Gordon Elliott topped and tailed the card, winning the Clonmel Racecourse Supporters' Club Claiming Hurdle with the Paddy Cleary-ridden Voice Of Reason, and completing the brace with Carsons Dreamboat, who won the bumper under Harry Swan. Voice Of Reason was put into the claimer with a value of €4,000 and, unsurprisingly, he was claimed at that price. The finale provided the day's easiest winner, as Carsons Dreamboat, who was off the track since finishing tailed off in a maiden hurdle in January 2024, sprinted clear of his rivals to win by 15 lengths.
Agriland
06-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Farmers ‘live in fear of the tax implications of RZLT'
Farmers are being reminded that the deadline for Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT) returns to Revenue is fast approaching. The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) Farm Business Committee chair Bill O'Keeffe said farmers who have made a submission to dezone their lands must now make a return to Revenue on or before Friday, May 23 to avail of an exemption from RZLT in 2025. This can be done by any individual by submitting a return on the RZLT portal through the Revenue online resources: myAccount or Revenue Online Service (ROS). The advice from the IFA for those who are not familiar with these online portals to engage professional accountancy services to make this return. RZLT All farmers who made submissions to local authorities in the February-March window should have received an acknowledgement of this by April 30. This acknowledgement must be included as part of the RZLT return to Revenue where a farmer is seeking an exemption from the 3% RZLT tax in 2025. 'IFA lobbied for a permanent exemption for actively farmed land throughout 2024. The exemption announced in the Budget 25 speech is unsatisfactory as it only covers this year,' O'Keeffe said. 'The process places undue obligations on many hundreds of affected farmers who may have lands zoned without their knowledge. 'They are now under the scope of this unfair taxation and there were several hoops to jump through to avail of this one-year tax exemption,' he said. Exemption The IFA Farm Business chair said that a one-year exemption from RZLT is not a solution. 'All actively farmed lands must be removed from the scope of RZLT permanently. 'The leaders of the three largest political parties – Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Sinn Féin – gave a commitment to the IFA in advance of last year's general election that they would remove actively farmed land from RZLT, but we have yet to see delivery on this commitment by the current government,' O'Keeffe said. The IFA committee chair called on the Minister for Finance, Pascal Donohoe and the Minister for Housing, James Browne to recognise that the current approach is not the correct instrument to encourage greater delivery of housing. He said that the stated aim of RZLT was to encourage housing development, but the RZLT is doing the exact opposite. 'Affected farmers live in fear of the tax implications of RZLT and its introduction has not increased interest from potential buyers to purchasing zoned land in many cases. 'Housing developers, AHBs (approved housing bodies) and financial lenders all recognise the RZLT liability associated with purchasing zoned land. 'They are standing back from purchasing zoned land in many cases, until the many other obstacles that are restricting housing development – finance, pre-planning investigations, labour and materials – are in place,' he said. O'Keeffe said that the IFA and farmers understand the need for more houses, but RZLT is not the instrument that will solve the current deficit. 'There are many other barriers to the supply of new housing that the government needs to address. 'IFA will continue this campaign to have all farmland permanently excluded from the scope of RZLT,' he added.
Fast Company
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fast Company
Herman Miller's New Mexico collection bottles the friendship between three creative geniuses
You've probably heard of Charles and Ray Eames, the designers behind the iconic Eames chair and ottoman, and Georgia O'Keefe, the trailblazing artist. But you might not know about how these artists were connected during their careers—or the art that came from their camaraderie. Herman Miller, in collaboration with the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, is bringing that history to light with a new limited-run furniture line. The New Mexico Collection, set to be released on May 20, celebrates the Eameses, O'Keeffe, and designer Alexander Girard, the founding director of Herman Miller's textile division. Included in the launch are 300 special Eames Wire Chairs, retailing for $1,995, and 100 iterations of the never-before-sold Girard Snake Table, retailing for $895. Both of the items offer a look into the intertwined artistic legacies of three designers whose work continues to shape the art world today. An oft-overlooked network of friends Georgia O'Keeffe first met Alexander Girard and his wife, Susan, when the couple moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1953. O'Keeffe had already been living in the remote rural town of Abiquiú, New Mexico, since the 1940s, and was already a household name across the country at the time of their meeting for her lush and evocative depictions of the natural world, many of which were inspired by flora and fauna native to her local surroundings. '[The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum] can't say for sure exactly when and how they met, but suffice it to say there weren't too many world renowned artists and designers living in that area, and apparently they felt a real kinship,' says Kelsey Keith, brand creative director at Herman Miller. For the New Mexico collection, Keith visited the museum's archives, where she learned that there are records of 20 to 30 years of correspondence between the Girards and O'Keeffe—not just to advise each other on artistic projects, which they did plenty of, but also to trade the kinds of casual stories that maintain a decades-long friendship. 'They ended up traveling together all over the world,' Keith says. 'Girard and his wife would go on these folk art collecting trips to Central and South America and to Japan, and [O'Keeffe] actually accompanied them on some of those trips. I think you have to be pretty good friends with someone to take those kinds of trips together.' It was through the Girards that the Eameses entered the picture. Girard was already close to the Eameses; in fact, the design duo had actually landed him his job. When the Eameses first began to design furniture for Herman Miller in the '40s (the company has now owned the exclusive distribution rights to Eames designs for decades), Charles and Ray asked for Girard to be brought on with them as 'a real design partner, not just someone to sort of decoratively apply fabrics after the fact,' Keith says. Through this professional collaboration, the Girards and the Eameses became both close colleagues and friends. The Girards soon introduced the Eameses to O'Keeffe. While their friendship wasn't as close, since the Eameses lived a state away from O'Keeffe in Los Angeles, they also kept up a correspondence, and were known to attend the Girards' annual Christmas parties. At the heights of their careers, the personal links between Girard, O'Keeffe, and the Eameses informed the work of all four creatives. A new design and a revived prototype The new Eames Wire Chair Low Base and Girard Snake Table both serve as a window into this period of artistic cross-pollination. The chair is inspired by a wire chair originally gifted by Ray Eames to O'Keeffe as decor in her Abiquiú home and studio. O'Keeffe's home and studio are now preserved as museum exhibitions, and for good reason: Her minimalist-yet-aesthetically pleasing and highly curated approach to interior design draws visitors to view her former residence year-round. Suffice it to say, O'Keeffe had high standards when it came to outfitting her space. Ray's chair surpassed them. 'Georgia loved [the chair] so much that she wrote a thank-you note and actually asked for another one just like it, which is hilarious—that someone sends you a gift, and you're like, 'I love it so much, can I have one more?'' Keith says. 'But she could do that, obviously. The original chair has a little label on it that Ray hand-drew to Georgia.' Instead of making an exact replica of Ray's original gift to Eames, Herman Miller decided to create a product that would merge elements of the Eames' design and O'Keeffe's interior decor. The New Mexico Collection's wire chair is a classic Eames frame on a low base, an homage to the fairly low ceilings and smaller furniture in O'Keeffe's home. The chair is upholstered in a bikini style (think two inverted triangles stacked together) with an ochre and sienna striped fabric designed by Girard and intended to match with the Abiquiú home's adobe interiors. While the new wire chair is a contemporary design made from archival elements, the Girard Snake Table is a close replica of a prototype made by Girard in the '50s that was never widely produced (though it occasionally pops up on auction sites.) The table features a splayed-leg aluminum base and steel top, printed with a custom illustration of a snake made by Girard. Snake imagery was a preoccupation of both Girard's and O'Keeffe's. O'Keeffe was so enamored with the snake's form, in fact, that when an archaeologist fan sent her a preserved skeleton, she had it encased in a bench in her living room. Today, visitors to the O'Keeffe house will find the snake's final resting place, as well as an original pillow made by Girard featuring one of his snake drawings. 'This is New Mexico, so snake motifs are really prevalent,' Keith says. 'I think what's interesting about this is that Girard interpreted that motif in his own way—in a very graphic sense—and then [O'Keeffe] also took inspiration from the natural world, and had this snake skeleton embedded in the banco in her house.' For Keith, the New Mexico Collection truly came together when she was able to see the final products arranged in O'Keeffe's home, overlooking the New Mexico landscape through sweeping glass windows. 'I will say, I think we hit it just right, because when we brought in the limited-run products to photograph in [O'Keeffe's] house, they fit so perfectly, it looks like they were meant to be there,' Keith says.
